Senate suspends budget defence over arson, looting

Senate Committee on Interior has suspended its budget defence over the violent attacks, massive destruction and looting by hoodlums across the country.

The Federal Fire Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had appeared before the committee to present their expenditure on the ongoing 2020 budget and defend their proposal for the 2021 budget.

But shortly after the meeting started, Senator George Sekibo (PDP) Rivers East raised a point of order and informed the Senate that the two agencies are critical to restoring law and order in the territory and other parts of the country.

He, therefore, said that they should be excused from the meeting and allowed to go and carry out their constitutional mandate in order to restore peace and order.

This view was supported by other members of the committee and the Chairman of the committee, Senator Kashim Shetimma, ruled in favour of the motion and directed that the two agencies should return to their jobs.

“This budget defence is hereby stepped down,” Shetimma ruled.

Sekibo had argued that like other public property, the offices of the agencies had come under attack by hoodlums.

He stressed the need for the agencies to have the full complement of its entire manpower to be able to handle the situation.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Kashim Shetimma, who spoke with journalists later, said the attention of the paramilitary personnel was needed to stop the breakdown of law and order in the country.

He said, “Those paramilitary organizations such as the Federal Fire Service and the civil defence submitted their budgets containing details of expenditure; we have received them and will subject them to public scrutiny and when the need arises, we will call them back to shed more light.

“In the light of the growing challenges and the issue of the pandemic, we felt compelled not to dissipate their useful time and energy answering a lot of questions from us.

“If there is a need for them to appear before us as we said earlier, we will call them back and subject them to scrutiny.

“We have the budget and there are explanations on how the funds are expended. If we want additional information, we will inquire from them but right now, some of their organisations are being attacked; some of their offices were burnt down. So how do you expect us to hold them to ransom here while there are needs for them to attend to outside.

“There are no compelling issues to hold them here.”